Samsung SDI to supply batteries for Volvo’s electric trucks launching in 2022
Trucks to be powered by 18,000 cylinder batteries
Volvo Trucks’ electric trucks launching in 2022 will be powered by Samsung SDI’s batteries, TheElec has learned.
It is Samsung SDI’s first supply for trucks __ the company has so far supplied for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
The South Korean battery maker is planning to wrap up development of the cylinder batteries for the trucks within the year. Production will begin in the second half of 2021 at the earliest.
Production will likely be done at Samsung SDI’s Cheonan factory in South Korea or its Tianjin factory in China.
The batteries will be 21700 and use nickel, cobalt and aluminum (NCA) cathode. It will be high-nickel __ over 80% nickel.
Around 18,000 battery cells will be installed on the trucks. This is two times the cells in Tesla’s Model 2 and three times that of Model 3.
Volvo Trucks is owned by Sweden-based Volvo Group and a different operation to Volvo Cars, which is owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.
Volvo Trucks is one of the world’s biggest truck makers in the world along with Daimler AG, MAN and Scania.
Samsung SDI and Volvo Trucks announced their partnership back in August 2019 to develop battery packs for electric trucks. Initially, the pair aimed to finish development by 2020 but this was delayed from the pandemic.
Volvo Trucks had asked for performance and durability fitting for a truck to Samsung SDI.
Demand for 21700 cylinder batteries are on the rise. Supply was focused on Tesla’s Model 3, causing a shortage for them in wireless cleaners and power tools.
The expanded commercialization of e-scooters and e-bikes have also caused a demand spike. These products usually use cylinder batteries.